65 Custom Rifles Assist 3-Year-Old with Leukemia

A Henry Guns For Great Causes Benefit

3-year-old Preslie Mantsch of Iron River, MI was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in April 2020.

Under Henry’s charitable “Guns For Great Causes” banner, company President and owner Anthony Imperato is donating a series of 65 custom “Prayers For Preslie” edition rifles to raise funds for the family of a 3-year-old Michigan girl battling leukemia. The rifles are available for purchase directly through Henry’s website except for the first and last in the series, which are up for auction on Gunbroker.com. All of the proceeds collected from the “Prayers For Preslie” rifles will be presented to the Mantsch family of Iron River, Michigan.

In April of this year, amidst a worldwide pandemic, Preslie Mantsch was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The news was delivered over the phone to her father, Thomas Mantsch, who was waiting in the Milwaukee Children’s Hospital parking lot, unable to be in the same room as his daughter and Preslie’s mother due to COVID-19 restrictions. Thomas is a frontline healthcare worker and first responder in his town’s ambulance and fire department. Preslie is currently undergoing treatment in Milwaukee, four and a half hours away from home, four to five days a week, and she still has two years of treatment left.

Thomas says of his daughter, “Preslie is a magical, kind-hearted, wonderful, smart, and caring little girl. She has a fighting spirit, and I am praying that she beats this.” He continues, “It is nerve-wracking to be working so close to the coronavirus frontlines with a daughter that is immunocompromised because of her chemo. We’re taking every precaution to keep her safe, but it’s hard.”

The “Prayers For Preslie” Edition Golden Boy Silver rifle, chambered in .22 S/L/LR, features a nickel-plated receiver cover, buttplate, and barrel band with a deeply blued steel octagon barrel. The genuine American walnut buttstock is engraved with an orange leukemia awareness ribbon in the middle of stylized butterfly wings, symbolizing hope and Preslie’s endurance. Above the butterfly are the words, “Prayers For Preslie,” in matching bright orange. Baron Engraving of Trumbull, Connecticut, donated the engraving work and hand-painted details. Each rifle in the series is marked with a unique serial number ranging from “PRESLIE01” to “PRESLIE65.”

The “Prayers For Preslie” .22 S/L/LR lever action rifle features an engraved and hand-painted genuine American walnut buttstock with a bright orange leukemia awareness ribbon in a butterfly motif.

Henry President and owner, Anthony Imperato, says, “It is heart-wrenching to think of what children like Preslie and their families have to go through when they get a diagnosis as serious as leukemia.” Imperato continues, “We get so personally invested into each of our Guns For Great Causes benefits as soon as we see the first photo of the kid’s smile, and we hope this goes a long way to helping the Mantsch family in these most challenging of times.”

To learn more about the “Prayers For Preslie” Edition or to make a purchase, visit www.henryusa.com/prayersforpreslie. The auction for serial number “PRESLIE01” is available on Gunbroker.com, item #880628196. The last rifle in the series, “PRESLIE65,” is also listed on Gunbroker.com, item #880628718. Both auctions end on October 20, 2020.

A Henry Guns For Great Causes Benefit

Henry President and Owner, Anthony Imperato, first learned of little Ethan Shaw, a 2-year-old boy from Pleasant View, TN from our good friend and host of Henry TV, 22Plinkster. Ethan was undergoing a fierce battle with ETMR, one of the most aggressive forms of brain tumors encountered in children. Immediately, Imperato committed to manufacture and donate 88 Henry “Ethan’s Army” Edition Golden Boy rifles with all proceeds benefiting the Shaw family to aid with the associated medical expenses.

With the production of the rifles well underway, on June 11, 2020, the worst possible news was received. Ethan Shaw, despite a battle for the ages, had succumbed to his illness.

Ethan was the youngest child in a family of 9 children and passed with a veritable army of love and support behind him. As part of “Guns For Great Causes,” Henry Repeating Arms offers these limited edition rifles in honor of Ethan’s life and to show Ethan and his family that he had a great many more in the Henry family standing right beside him through his struggle. 

The “Ethan’s Army” edition rifle, chambered in .22 S/L/LR, is built on the world-famous Henry Golden Boy platform with a gleaming Brasslite receiver cover, barrel band, and brass buttplate. The genuine American Walnut buttstock is engraved with a silhouette of Ethan in the foreground with his entire family standing behind him in a show of support. Ethan’s profile is hand-painted with a Tennessee flag motif, his home state. Baron Engraving of Trumbull, CT, donated all of the engraving and design work for the “Ethan’s Army” rifle.

All of the rifles are available for purchase directly from Henry Repeating Arms, except for serial number ETHANSARMY01, which is currently up for auction.

Click Here To View The Gunbroker Listing For ETHANSARMY01

Ethan’s final treatments cost the Shaw family upwards of $17,000 a month for medicine, which was not covered by their insurance company’s plan. From the sale of these rifles, Henry Repeating Arms will be able to present the family with over $50,000.

May Ethan Shaw rest in peace and may the Shaw family find healing through their prayers and ours. We are proud to be a part of Ethan’s Army, and we hope you will join us.

The “Ethan’s Army” Edition rifles are SOLD OUT. All rifles were sold in less than 6 hours. Thank you everyone for your support. This will go a long way to helping the Shaw family.

The families of 4-year-old Beckett Burge (L) from Princeton, TX and 3-year-old Sadie Kreinbrink of Ostrander, OH (R) are receiving a total of $78,250 from the sales of rifles donated by Henry Repeating Arms.

BAYONNE, NJ – February 5, 2020 – Henry President and Owner, Anthony Imperato, designed and donated 60 rifles for 4-year-old Beckett Burge of Princeton, Texas, and 66 rifles for 3-year-old Sadie Kreinbrink of Ostrander, Ohio to assist with the medical expenses associated with their leukemia treatments. The firearms were sold directly through Henry Repeating Arms’ website and sold out within hours, and serial number 1 of each edition brought in a total of $8,650 at auction on gunbroker.com. The Burge family is receiving $35,525, and the Kreinbrink family is receiving $45,725 from the sale of these rifles.

After a photo of Beckett Burge and his supportive sister went viral, Imperato reached out to offer assistance through Henry’s Guns For Great Causes program, a charitable branch of the company that focuses on helping sick children, children’s hospitals, veterans’ organizations, 2nd Amendment, shooting sports, and wildlife conservation organizations. The “Beat It Like Beckett” edition rifle showcased an engraved and handpainted gold ribbon on the buttstock, the symbol of childhood cancer awareness.

The “Beat It Like Beckett” edition rifle (top) and the “Sweet Sadie” edition rifle (bottom) sold out within hours of going up for sale on Henry Repeating Arms’ website.

A few months after Sadie Kreinbrink was diagnosed with Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma, a malignant childhood tumor requiring 66 weeks of chemotherapy treatment, Sadie’s mother reached out to Henry Repeating Arms, and the “Sweet Sadie” edition rifle was born. The custom Golden Boy Silver Youth rifle displays a bright pink ribbon on the buttstock, which is Sadie’s favorite color.

Baron Engraving of Trumbull, CT, donated their engraving and painting services for both rifles.

Henry President and owner, Anthony Imperato, says, “We are so thrilled with our fans and everyone that chose to support the Kreinbrink and Burge family by purchasing one of these rifles. It’s initiatives like this that have the potential to show the media and the rest of the world how great of an industry our firearms industry is.” He continues, “Firearms manufacturers tend to get a black eye by the media more often than not, so this along with all of our other Guns For Great Causes campaigns should go to show all the good we can do.”

Learn more about Henry’s Guns For Great Causes program »

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – April 25, 2019 – Henry Repeating Arms presented engraved tribute edition rifles to a total of six deserving individuals to recognize their service of country, state, and community during the National Rifle Association Foundation Banquet and Auction. The presentation took place in front of a crowd of more than 2,500 people at the Lucas Oil Stadium as the kick-off event for the 2019 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits, which opens to the public on Friday, April 26th.

As the primary sponsor of the event, Anthony Imperato, President and owner of Henry Repeating Arms, invited the honorees to join him on stage where they were introduced to the crowd and presented with a Henry rifle. The honorees included the Sheriff of Baron County, Wisconsin, a young veteran who was injured by a 200-pound IED on deployment in Iraq, three World War II veterans, and the father of a young man who was tragically killed in a car accident two weeks after returning from his second combat deployment.

Barron County Wisconsin Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald was the first to take the stage alongside Imperato. “I’d like to begin this presentation with a hero from our neck of the woods in Wisconsin,” said Imperato referring to Henry Repeating Arms’ second manufacturing facility in Rice Lake, WI. Imperato continues, “Barron County became the center of the media world under the unfortunate circumstances of a kidnapping of a 13-year-old girl named Jayme Closs. Sheriff Fitzgerald and his team never gave up hope and will be closing the case on May 24th with the sentencing of the suspect in the case.” Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald was presented with a Henry Law Enforcement Tribute Edition rifle.

Sgt. Omar Avila of Austin, TX was then announced to the stage and handed a Henry Military Services Tribute Edition rifle. Avila joined the U.S. Army in 2004 as an Infantryman and was deployed to Iraq shortly thereafter. A 200-pound Improvised Explosive Device (IED) rocked Avila’s vehicle and caused burns to over 75% of his body and a leg wound that required amputation below the knee of his right leg. Despite his injuries Avila went on to become the current world record holder for the World Association of Bench and Deadlift in the Paralympics category and serve as a motivational figure for his fellow veterans, whom he devotes his life to.

Don Burwell of Shelbyville, IN and Al Hutchcraft of Greenfield, IN were the next individuals asked to join the stage. Both men served in the military during World War II with the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army, respectively. Hutchcraft was deployed to Peleliu and Burwell was deployed to Yokohama, Japan. Wetzel “Sundown” Sanders of East Lynn, WV was then called to the stage, another World War II veteran. Sanders was an anti-aircraft gunner stationed at Hospital Point at Pearl Harbor on the day of the Japanese attack, December 7, 1941. A Purple Heart was awarded to Sanders from Senator Joe Manchin in 2017, 76 years after he was injured in the attack. Imperato, looking back at the World War II veterans on stage holding their Henry Military Services Tribute Edition rifles said, “These men are among the last of the greatest generation that our country has ever seen and we owe our freedom to them today.”

Before the presentation concluded Imperato brought one more person on stage, Marshall Easley. Easley’s son, Michael, served in the U.S. Marine Corps and served two combat tours. He was honorably discharged and preparing to attend college but was tragically killed in a car accident just two weeks after returning home from his second deployment. The father and son were both avid Henry collectors, so when the father was brought on stage Imperato presented him with a rifle that they did not have yet in memory of his son and his son’s service. “We know your son is looking down on all of us at this moment and I would like to present this rifle to you in his honor and memory. God rest his soul, God Bless these fine men behind me on stage, and God Bless the United States of America,” concluded Anthony Imperato as the crowd rose to its feet in applause.

DALLAS, TX – May 3, 2018 – Henry Repeating Arms presented three Texas heroes with American-made Henry God Bless America Edition lever action rifles to recognize their outstanding acts of bravery, heroism and going above and beyond the call of duty to help their communities.

The presentation took place in front of a crowd of more than 2,000 people on May 3rd at the National Rifle Association Foundation Banquet during the NRA’s 2018 Annual Meetings & Exhibits at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas.

As a premier sponsor of the event, Anthony Imperato, President of Henry Repeating Arms, invited the heroes to join him on the stage. This year’s recipients included Stephen Willeford and Johnnie Langendorff; the two men hailed as heroes for chasing down and stopping the gunman responsible for the mass shooting that took place at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, about 300 miles south of Dallas. “These two gentleman that just walked out on stage are the epitome of true American heroes. They embody the person that we should all aspire to be,” Imperato told the crowd.

Willeford, a former NRA instructor, heard the gunshots from his home and sprang into action without hesitation. He grabbed his rifle and ran barefoot across the road where he and the gunman exchanged gunfire, which led to the gunman fleeing in his SUV. Langendorff, who saw the action unfold from inside his car, let Willeford into his truck and a high-speed pursuit began to chase down the gunman. While keeping local law enforcement informed of their location, they followed the wounded shooter until the chase ended when the gunman crashed his SUV into a ditch.

“Stephen and Johnnie’s actions on that fateful day stopped evil, saved lives, and ended one of the most tragic events of 2017. Twenty-six people lost their lives that day and may God continue to comfort the families, friends, and neighbors who lost a loved one that day,” Imperato said as the crowd rose to a standing ovation for the two heroes.

The third honoree, Ryan Ashcraft, became known as “the flying cowboy” because of his actions immediately following Hurricane Harvey. The devastating storm inflicted $125 billion in damages throughout Texas where it made landfall. The extensive flooding put thousands of people and millions of heads of cattle at risk, so Ashcraft took to the skies in his helicopter to help ranchers drive their cattle to high ground, a task that would be impossible over land. Ashcraft saved thousands of cattle and dozens of people across seven counties.

As Ashcraft took hold of his Henry rifle, Mr. Imperato stated, “We would like to thank Mr. Ashcraft for his selfless acts and showing the rest of the country what being a Texan is all about, helping your neighbors.”

The crowd of more than 2,000 people rose to give multiple standing ovations during the presentation. “Thank you again to all of our recipients and thank you all for coming tonight. God Bless you all, and God Bless the United States of America,” Imperato concluded as the crowd rose to applaud the heroes one last time.

More than 80,000 attendees and exhibitors will be attending the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits later this week in Dallas, TX and Henry Repeating Arms is doubling down on their support this year through special event sponsorships and donations.

For the first time in the company’s history, Henry is a supporting sponsor of the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum, an exclusive event that will take place in a crowded arena at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. President Trump spoke at this event last year and the key speakers this year continue the political significance including Vice President Mike Pence, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, United States Senator Ted Cruz, NRA executives Wayne LaPierre and Chris Cox, and several others.

Henry is also proud to sponsor the NRA Foundation Banquet again this year, which will kick off the events on Thursday evening. Anthony Imperato, the president and owner of Henry Repeating Arms, uses this evening to honor military veterans for their service, citizens who rose to the occasion to become heroes, local first responders, or outstanding leaders in firearms education.

President of Henry Repeating Arms, Anthony Imperato states, “The NRA Show is and always has been Henry’s biggest show. Over the years we’ve continued to grow as a company, which means that our presence at this show just gets bigger and better. Texas is a great state and we’re excited to meet our fans and customers while showing everyone just how much the Second Amendment means to us.”

Henry will be in booth #8251 with over 50 firearms on display, which is roughly one-third of the entire product line. Henry is also giving away a Second Amendment Tribute Edition .22 LR lever action rifle every day of the show.

The highest bidder of Serial #1,000,000 with his milestone rifle.

In 2017 Henry Repeating Arms manufactured their one-millionth H001 Classic Lever Action .22, which is considered their most affordable lever action rimfire rifle. Over the past 20 years, this model has become a staple in the firearms industry known amongst shooters for its American walnut stocks, smooth action, affordable price tag, and the fact that it’s American-made. The one-of-one rifle, which features exhibition grade stocks and highly detailed hand engraving became the 2018 SHOT Show Auction rifle. The auction concluded on the final day of the show, and the hammer fell at $55,025.

The winning bid elevates the rifle into record-breaking territory as event history indicates that no other rimfire firearm has ever sold for more. In 1985 the first-ever SHOT Auction firearm was a lever action .22 that sold for $21,250. Serial #1,000,000 also beat out Henry’s last entry into the SHOT Show Auction, which happened in 2014 with Serial #1 of the New Original Henry rifle- a reproduction of the first lever action rifle patented by Benjamin Tyler Henry in 1860.

Anthony Imperato, President, and owner of Henry Repeating Arms states, “We’re thrilled with the outcome of the auction. The fact that a .22 raised over $50,000 is incredible and we thank our friends at Hunting Heritage Trust for assisting with the auction listing, Gunbroker.com for hosting the auction, and Baron Technologies for the fantastic job they did with the engraving.” Imperato continues, “We’ve now sold over one million H001 rifles which means we must be doing something right!”

Henry Repeating Arms is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year with a series of twenty hand engraved Big Boy .44 Magnum lever action rifles. Serial number ‘20HENRY01,’ the first of the series sold at auction on Gunbroker.com for $25,225 with all of the proceeds directly benefitting the Hunting Heritage Trust, a charitable organization dedicated to preserving hunting and the shooting sports.

“I am beyond pleased that serial #1 was able to raise over $25,000 at auction. There was a bit of a bidding war at the end, and we’d like to congratulate and thank the winner for choosing to own such a special rifle,” says Anthony Imperato, President of Henry Repeating Arms. He continues, “I think it surpassed everyone’s expectations, and it’s a good sign for what’s to come with the other 19 rifles in the series.”

All of the rifles in the very limited-edition run are being auctioned off on Gunbroker.com, and the proceeds are benefitting various organizations that work to support hunting, shooting, and wildlife conservation in America. Some of these organizations include the Boone & Crockett Club, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Dallas Safari Club, Ducks Unlimited, Hunting Heritage Trust, Kids & Clays, the National Rifle Association, National Shooting Sports Foundation, National Wild Turkey Federation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and others.

The rifles feature a highly-detailed, hand engraved brass receiver boasting the brand’s motto, “Made in America or Not Made at All.” Presentation-grade, AAA American Walnut stocks and a highly collectible “One of Twenty” serial number are another distinguishing feature.

Serial number ‘20HENRY02,’ ‘20HENRY03,’ and ‘20HENRY04’ are now up for auction on Gunbroker through December 10th, 2017. Refer to these auction listings for more information on the organizations that these specific rifles are benefitting, images, and the schedule for the rest of the series.

Joe Petrucelli (L), Owner of Tri-County Sporting Goods, presenting check for $70,000 to Joshua Brennan and his family (C) with Anthony Imperato (R), President of Henry Repeating Arms.

BAYONNE, NJ, October 9, 2017– Henry Repeating Arms of Bayonne, NJ and Rice Lake, WI designed 54 custom Henry Lever Action Octagon rifles to help raise funds for 14-year-old Joshua Brennan of New York who was diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome before he was even born. 24 of these rifles were donated directly to the Firemen for Joshua Foundation, a 510(c)(3) organization, and the remaining 30 were purchased by Joe Petrucelli of Tri-County Sporting Goods who organized further fundraising efforts to benefit the charitable foundation formed in Joshua’s name.

Eric Trump (L) stops by Tri-County Sporting Goods to show his support for Henry’s Guns For Great Causes.

For the past few years Joshua has served the emergency service community by volunteering at the Pawling Fire Department in Dutchess County, and while he is too young to fight fires he is a critical member of the department. Washing trucks, keeping the firehouse in good order, lending a helping hand in the kitchen, and attending special events are just some of the tasks that Joshua tends to, all stemming from his love for the department and his call to volunteerism instilled in him by his father Tom, who is also a volunteer firefighter.

Joshua Brennan suffered heart failure last year and has a pacemaker and two valves keeping him alive. He now needs a heart transplant.

In 2014 a similar partnership between Henry Repeating Arms and Tri-County Sporting Goods raised over $60,000 for 4-year-old Grayson Sutton of Sedan, KS who was battling Primary Pulmonary Hypertension and facing a series of costly surgeries.

President of Henry Repeating Arms, Anthony Imperato explains, “Tri-County Sporting Goods has always stepped up to the plate to help Henry with any of our Guns for Great Causes initiatives. When they told me about this great young man Joshua, and his battle, we instantly decided to reciprocate.”

The 54 special edition rifles are currently being sold through Tri-County Sporting Goods in Patterson, NY and all proceeds are going to benefit the Firemen for Joshua Foundation, which goes directly to Joshua and his family.

Petrucelli organized Firemen for Joshua Day at Tri-County Sporting Goods on September 30th where over 200 people from the local community came together to show their support. Joshua was nominated for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and he and his family were presented with a $70,000 check from the proceeds of the rifles sold to date along with donations from local businesses. Proceeds are expected to raise over $100,000 before the end of the year.

Serial number “JOSHUA001,” the first of 54 made is currently up for auction on GunBroker.com, item #705771173.

Tri-County Sporting Goods will continue to sell the Firemen for Joshua rifles while supplies last, as well as custom serial numbered Henry Heirloom rifles. Proceeds from these sales will continue to fund the Firemen for Joshua foundation. To purchase one of these rifles contact Joe Petrucelli at (845) 878-6084. General donations are being accepted here: https://www.gofundme.com/firemen-for-joshua.